The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the steering wheel locked up and the vehicle stalled, and it rolled across an intersection and then stopped. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that a tow truck arrived, and the tow truck driver could not shift into drive (D), but the vehicle was towed from the scene. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.
Ford F-150 steering lock-up problems
216 of the 38,391 owner complaints about the Ford F-150 describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 2011 model year.
- owner complaints
- 216
- worst model year
- 2011
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,700
- typical mileage
- 75,000
Is there a fix? There are 10 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 87Power steering loss 32Stalling 7Grinding brakes 5Jerking 4Check engine light 4No deployment 4Pulling 3
Trouble codes mentioned
C1963 2U0428 1C1B00 1
What owners say
While driving my vehicle (2019 Ford F150), it suddenly came to a complete stop. The engine shut off and the steering wheel locked up. While in the middle of a roadway, I had to quickly throw my vehicle into park, turn it off and back on. At that point, it was running again and I was able to safely get it to a dealership where it was inspected for an issues. There were no warnings, alerts or messages on my dashboard. The dealership confirmed what had happened. It was due to the electronic steering system failing. They fixed it and so far there has been no issues. This is not the first time I have heard of this happening and after researching, it appears it is more common than not. I believe, because of the risk of this vehicle unexpectedly and suddenly stopping on any roadway, a recall should occur. I could not imagine what would happen if one of my loved ones had been driving and a serious crash occurred.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle lost the power steering assist feature. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering is very loose and hard to control
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the contact's son was driving, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction, and the steering wheel seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact's son was driving on a busy three-lane highway. The contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was filed. The contact was informed by the tow truck driver that the steering wheel had seized and the vehicle was inoperable to drive. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. In addition, the contact stated that the contact's vehicle and the other vehicle were both damaged; however the contact was still waiting for the insurance adjuster. The contact was advised by the insurance company to contact the federal safety agency Hotline and report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
I need to open a safety case. My 2014 Ford F-150 had recall 24S37 performed. Immediately after the recall, the steering locked, the truck stopped itself while still in Drive, and a blue oil pressure warning light appeared. The vehicle is unsafe and cannot be driven out of my driveway. The dealership is refusing responsibility and wants to charge diagnostics. I need this inspected and towed under recall responsibility.”
Driving about 10 mph when steering lockup Shop replaced rack opinion
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the electronic power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized. In addition, the steering failure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The electronic power steering locked up while driving & could not turn the wheel at all. Yes this has been inspected & confirmed by an independent service center. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to this incident. The vehicle is render useless with the locked up steering.
Related recalls
Steering
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 vehicles. The lower intermediate shaft fasteners may be improperly attached to the steering gear, allowing the shaft to come loose or detach.
- Risk
- A lower intermediate shaft that detaches can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the lower intermediate shaft fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S46.
Recall number 25V309000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 F-150 vehicles. The steering gear assembly may have been assembled with an incorrect rack, which can cause the gears to fracture.
- Risk
- A fractured steering gear can cause the steering to bind or lock, resulting in a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 19, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S04.
Recall number 25V022000 · Recall details
Steering: column
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 F-150 vehicles. The steering column lower shaft may have been secured to the steering gear assembly with an incorrect fastener, which can result in the separation of steering components and cause a loss of steering control.
- Risk
- A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the lower steering shaft fastener, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S32.
Recall number 24V329000 · Recall details
Steering: column
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 F-150 vehicles. The power-adjustable telescoping steering column connector wiring may be too short. Wiring that is too short can become damaged or separate if the adjustable steering column is extended all the way.
- Risk
- Damaged or separated wiring may result in the steering column not moving as intended in certain crash conditions, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the steering column wiring harness and repair the wiring, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 9, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available by the end of July, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S24.
Recall number 22V253000 · Recall details
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The steering gear may have internal damage, which could result in difficulty steering, or the inability to rotate the steering wheel while driving.
- Risk
- Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until the repair is complete. Vehicles will be towed in for service, and dealers will remove and replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S28.
Recall number 21V407000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 trucks manufactured March 19, 2015, to March 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been built with a steering upper intermediate shaft that was improperly riveted.
- Risk
- If the intermediate shaft was improperly riveted, it could separate from the intermediate shaft flex coupling, resulting in a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the intermediate shaft and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S17.
Recall number 15V279000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford F-150 trucks manufactured May 26, 2014 to June 19, 2014, and equipped with Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS). The affected vehicles may have an incorrectly installed EPAS gear motor position sensor magnet that can lead to a total loss of steering control while driving.
- Risk
- A loss of steering control while driving increases the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPAS steering gear, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been remedied. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S09.
Recall number 14V316000 · Recall details
Steering: gear box: shaft pitman
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks, the pitman arm to steering gear retaining nut was not fully tightened to the required specification.
- Risk
- If the pitman arm to gearbox attachment nut loosens, a noise and a loose feel in the steering could occur. If the condition progressed and service was not sought, the nut could back off completely and the pitman arm could separate from the gear causing a loss of steering. If the warning is not heeded and steering is lost, a crash may result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will tighten the pitman arm retaining nut to specifications. Owner notification began on october 1, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 03V349000 · Recall details
Steering: gear box: shaft sector
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, if the intermediate shaft yoke separates from the steering gear input shaft, the steering system becomes disconnected.
- Risk
- This could result in loss of steering control, potentially resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the steering intermediate shaft yoke to determine if the yoke is fully seated on the steering gear input shaft. If the yoke is fully seated no service is required. If the yoke is not fully seated and bolt groove and spline is visible, the intermediate shaft and bolt will be replaced as well as the bolt at the steering column connection. Owner notification began on may 30, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 03V196000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- Keys attached to the key ring of an ignition key while it is in the vehicle ignition can become lodged in the steering lock receiver as the steering wheel is being turned.
- Risk
- The lodged keys can cause loss of steering control, whichcan result in an accident when the vehicle is being used on the highway.
- Remedy
- A shield will be positioned between the steering wheel and the ignition switch and held in place by the steering lock band.
Recall number 93V066000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford F-150 steering lock-up
Which Ford F-150 years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2011 (76 complaints), 2013 (28 complaints) and 2012 (22 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,700 (median of 13 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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